7 Best Indie Outdoor Sports Video Games

The kind of busy lives we lead, it isn’t easy for us to get out there and try an adventure sport or discover a new activity. Video games allow us to escape into a world where it is possible for us to learn how to skydive within minutes, survive in the wild with nothing but a team of 5 dogs, and race against some of the fastest snowmobiles and jet skis out there – all of this without any fear! We’ve all played sports video games such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and Mario Kart but this list of 7 best indie outdoor sports video games will give you a bit of street cred in the gaming world!

Airplane Skydiving Flight Simulator – Flying Stunt

The first game on our list of 7 best indie outdoor sports video games is Airplane Skydiving Flight Simulator. What the name of this game does not suggest is the fact that it goes way beyond skydiving! Players must also assume the role of the pilot or the off-road bus driver, who takes tourists to the final jump point. Depending on the jump you pick, you will get the opportunity to fly a plane and then jump off of it! Furthermore, you might also have to use ziplines in order to reach the jump spot.

Your objective is to reach the last checkpoint in progressively difficult levels of the game. The super realistic game controls give you a very real taste of the actual experience of skydiving. Feel the wind as you fly over scenic mountains and rivers while managing your flight, taking several factors such as wind into account. The fun doesn’t stop there! You can also perform cool stunts, for which you will be handsomely rewarded in the form of bonus points!

Airplane Skydiving Flight Simulator can be enjoyed in the palm of your hand – your mobile phone or a PC for free!

The Red Lantern

If you consider yourself to be a bit of a lone wolf when it comes to gaming, The Red Lantern is perfect for you. Set in the beautiful and vast arctic landscape of Alaska, the objective of the game is for you to simply return home. Well, you aren’t completely alone – being accompanied by your team of 5 sled dogs. What’s even more interesting about the sled dogs is that each of them has a personality that you must manage and if you achieve certain goals within the game, you could even increase your team to 8 pups instead of 5!

The slogan of the game is “Chose Wisely. Live Wildly.” and rightly so. With more than 100 different simulations, each decision you make could dramatically change the outcome of the game. While for the most part of the game you are dog sledding, survival in the wild adds an interesting element to the game. Hunting reindeer, setting up your own camp and even ensuring the well-being of your dogs are part and parcel of the game.

The most beautiful feature of the game is the ever-changing shades of the arctic sky. Hues of purple, pink and blue, dominate the sky and reflect off the crystal white snow. The Red Lantern is available on Nintendo Switch for an affordable price of 25 dollars.

Jet Moto

The third game on our list of indie outdoor sports video games is Jet Moto. Nintendo’s Wave Race family dominated jet ski video games for most people but there’s no overlooking Jet Moto. The PS1 video game was released in 1997 and is probably the most unconventional jet ski game out there. Why? Because you could surely ride the jet ski over water, but also other surfaces like sand, snow, and land. The makers of the game probably added this feature to give Jet Moto a bit of an edge over other jet-skiing video games but it may have been the reason for the game to eventually tank after three editions.

On a more positive note, the jet ski racing game had some very exciting track designs. With classic pixelated graphics and edgy music from the early 90s, Jet Moto will truly take you back in time. What gives the video game a bit of a nasty kick is the fact that you could violently stop the progress of your competitors – a bit like Mario Kart.

Jet Moto isn’t one for the jet ski purists but will easily go down as the best experimental jet ski video game.

Snow Moto Racing Freedom

Snow Moto Racing Freedom is one of the most immersive virtual snowmobiling experiences you could play for just 6 euros. From the sound of the engine to steering the snowmobile itself and even the way the snow reacts and splashes, the game is very realistic. Snow Moto Racing Freedom was released in 2017 and was developed by Zordix AB.

Experience the thrill of snowmobile racing as you make your mark on the snow and gain speed boosts by performing spectacular tricks in the air! The objective of the game is simple: become a snowmobiling legend by conquering different tracks or maps within the game. The game doesn’t end there. You can extend your superiority to the online version of the video game where you can compete with a number of your friends and potentially stamp your authority.

If you feel like no one can match up to your level, guess what? You can even ghost race! That means the game gives you an opportunity to race against yourself and beat your own time.

DownStream: VR Whitewater Kayaking

DownStream is a whitewater kayaking video game which gives gamer’s a high speed and high-intensity adrenaline rush through their computer screen. Just like the jet skiing and snowmobiling games mentioned above, the objective of DownStream is to be the fastest. In other words, it is a kayak racing video game that was recently released by JumpStick in 2019.

There are two ways to play DownStream. You could either gain XP for stunts and win powerups to top the leaderboard or leisurely paddle down the stream and admire nature’s gifts in the form of beautiful mountains and clear waters. If you collect enough points, you could even use a windsail which gives you an edge over your competitors to steer and gain momentum in your race.

The video game which can be enjoyed most on a Windows 10 computer, comes with a tutorial or purchased on Steam for just 7 euros. We recommend you to start with the tutorial as learning during the course of the game could get pretty challenging.

3D Paragliding

The longest paragliding flight time is 11 hours. On the 3D paragliding video game, there are no limits. You could basically be in the air for as long as you like. The video game which was developed by khos85, was released in 2015 and can be enjoyed on a PC or on Steam for just 80 cents and makes the thought of human flight come true.

Although you can stay in the air for as long as you want, the condition is that you must respect the rules of paragliding. How do you do that? Look for thermals, stay in them for as long as possible to gain altitude! The most realistic paragliding game out there shows you the technical elements of the sport. But it’s not all about the technique. As you feel the wind rush past your character, you can discover all areas of a vast virtual map of the world created within the game, including beautiful scenery.

If you’re bored of simply cruising in the air, you can devote your precious air time to completing missions like dropping bombs on target cities, practicing your paragliding skills like take-offs and landings!

Abzû

The last game on our list of indie outdoor sports video games may not be exactly indie but deserves a mention for its sheer brilliance – Abzû. The game was released quite recently in 2016, which means the graphics are spectacular, to say the least. Abzû was published by 505 Games and can be enjoyed on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows.

Still hungry for more video games? Well we have curated another list of adventure video games that you could enjoy with family and friends!